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90 Days of Getting to Know you Questions for Visibly Random Groups 🤔#ThinkingClassroom

In my classes, I use a strategy called “Visibly Random Groups” based on the research of Peter Liljedahl. In short, every single period students are greeted at the classroom door with a random playing card from a set I’ve made for each class. The number on the card tells them which group they will sit at for the day (groups of 4 desks are clustered under hanging group numbers from 1-8). Students may not trade cards and I may not choose which card they get. Students sit with different classmates daily.

Discussing the question of the day “Where is your favourite place to go for a walk?”

To help break the ice, we begin each day with a “getting to know you” question with our new group mates. Most importantly is that I stress they must start with “My name is . . . ” before answering the question of the day. I insist on this even if they think their partner knows their name. Too often I will notice half way through our group work that someone in the group of 3 does not know their partner’s names which can make group work awkward and/or difficult.

So I thought I would share my most recent list of getting to know you questions in case you might find it useful for your class also. There are 90 questions because we have 90 classes per semester here in Ontario. It starts with 26 of the “36 questions to fall in love” list. Then it’s a mix of questions by myself, my students, colleagues, or that I’ve seen online somewhere:

Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

Would you like to be famous? In what way?

Who’s the last person you made an actual phone call to? What about?

What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?

How do you think you will die?

For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

Take 1 minute and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.

If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

What is something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?

What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

What do you value most in a friendship?

What is your most treasured memory?

What is your most terrible memory?

If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?

What roles do love and affection play in your life? who are you affectionate with? who is affectionate with you?

Tell your partner about your relationship with your mother

Tell your partner about your relationship with your father

If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.

Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.

When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?

What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?

Do you pour your cereal first then milk or milk then cereal?

Do you prefer rainy or snowy weather? Why?

Apple or Android? Why?

Tell your partner about something you learned how to do from YouTube or the Internet

Tell your partner about a time you felt included here at this school (like you belong).

What is the last movie you watched?

What is your favourite TV show?

What is your favourite book?

What website/app do you spend the most time on?

What is the last book you read that wasn’t for school?

What do you consider one of the best inventions in the world? Why?

Tell what you did this weekend in 30 seconds.

What’s the last song you listened to?

What is your favourite season (spring/summer/fall/winter) & why?

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

If you invited a friend over for dinner this weekend, what would you cook for them?

If you could be an animal, which one and why?

Complete this sentence: “math makes me feel _____” & explain why

What are the qualities that you look for in a teacher?

What are your strengths?

What Canadian city would you like to visit? Why?

What is your favourite sport to play?

What are you passionate about?

Name one of your hobbies & say why you enjoy it

Who is your favourite actor/actress?

What pets do you have at home? If you don’t have any, what pet would you get if you could?

What is your favourite meal to eat at home?

What is your favourite activity to do with friends?

What is your favourite thing to read?

Would you prefer to play hide & seek or tag? Why?

What has been your most rewarding experience getting your 40 volunteer hours so far?

Would you rather: live inside your house or outdoors forever?

Where are you from?

What do you want to become in the future?

What is the first thing you do when you get home after school?

What is the last thing you do before you go to bed at night?

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Tell about a goal you made & achieved

Chocolate or candy? Why?

Sweet or salty?

What is the scariest thing that you’ve experienced?

What is your favourite fruit to eat?

Favourite grade/year of school to date?

What is something you’ve done that you regret? Why?

When is your birthday & how do you celebrate?

Do you walk/bike/drive/bus to school? Why?

Teach your favourite stretch to your partners

If you were making a playlist to make you happy, name 3 songs you’d include

Where is your favourite place to go for a walk? (or what’s the best spot you’ve ever walked/hiked?)

How do you help encourage your friends when they are stressed or nervous about something?

How would not having your cell phone with you for 24 hours change your day?

Describe the last time you had a real conversation with someone you didn’t know very well.

Describe the last time you played in the snow.

What space (locker, room …) is your most messy? Name 3 things you should probably clean up or throw out there.

If you were to send an encouraging text to someone right now, who would it be & what would it say?

Describe the last funny video you saw

If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

How many hours of sleep do you get a night? What time do you go to bed? … Wake up?

What I’ve been doing is using a seating chart randomizer spreadsheet day to day. Kids do something silly (like a tongue-twister), and I time them. The hundredths of a second in the time it takes to do that is essentially random, and that random # goes into the spreadsheet, generating the chart for the day. So if it takes a student 8.34 seconds to say “Unique New York” 5 Times, our random number is 34. I also use visual puzzles (rebus riddles) and let the whole class guess. Anything silly. Getting the random # before creating the chart means we have to move after the bell rings, but you could also get the random # the previous day and use it as soon as kids walk in.

Yeah – I used to use an online random grouping website each day, but either wound up w/ groups of 1 if 2 of the kids in that group were absent OR had to wait till all arrived, take out absent names & assign groups then. I like the cards b/c they are assigned their random group as soon as they arrive & can go sit down w/ their new partners.